The benefits of having a friend who is a doctor were readily apparent to David Kinzler after his son cut his cheek falling off a toy castle. And then when the same son hurt his ankle bouncing on a trampoline. And then when his daughter swallowed a quarter on a Sunday.
“Sunday evenings are when kids like to do this stuff,” he said in a phone call.
In those cases, Kinzler, the CEO of One to One Health in Chattanooga, was able to text Dr. Keith Helton, the company’s founder, to ask for advice and send him pictures of any injuries. Helton told Kinzler whether his children needed stitches, when and where to get an X-ray and whether it was necessary to go to the emergency room. Crucially, Helton also followed up with Kinzler to ensure his children were recovering from their escapades.
“When you get that actual proactive followup from a doctor, that’s when the light bulb goes off of, ‘Oh, this person actually cares about me and wants me to get better,'” Kinzler said.